A Patchy Existence
by Fuujin
Summary: A burnt down house, dead parents, nutrition disorder, an abusive guardian, and now a marriage arrangement! Can Ouran's host club help a friend out of this one? And if so, how far will they go to help?
1. Chapter 1: Shocking, Isn't It?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou. And I also don't own the song 'Foolish Games' by Jewel which partially inspired this fic.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter One - Shocking, Isn't It?**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for future chapters.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames.

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"It's difficult isn't it?" Luna asked calmly, folding one of her hands over the other. It was after school on Friday, and she sat contently in Ouran's Host Club. All of the boys were dressed as some type of Santa Claus, except they weren't fat and they were wearing quiet a bit of tight clothing. The room was all snowy, and even the coffee had whip cream on top of it to it make it look like snow. She had the twins to herself that day.

The two looked at her with confused eyes. Hikaru shifted, pulling one of his knees to his chest. "What?" he asked.

"Being at the club – it's difficult to pretend to love someone, that you really love. Am I right?" she smiled slightly, taking a sip of her coffee. She could tell that even they sometimes doubted if incest was really okay. Their eyes would sometimes wander from each others during brotherly moments, and when they thought they weren't being watched, they hardly touched one another at all.

"Not really…" they said slowly, obviously searching for an answer. Their amber eyes fleeted to give each other a look. They hadn't a clue what to do.

"Well, do you two really love each other?" Luna pushed, brushing her short, black bangs to the side. Just as she had expected, they answered with thinking about it.

"Yes," and then they laughed.

"But, what kind of question is that? Of course we do. He _is _my brother," Kaoru said almost sharply. He blushed slightly when Hikaru gave him a curious look. He wasn't acting, his twin could tell that.

"We've known each other since the beginning of time!" Hikaru came to his twin's rescue, just like he always did. He stood and moved so that he was standing behind his mirror image. "We've slept side by side from the beginning," he said warmly, placing his hands on Kaoru's shoulders.

"Hikaru…Don't…" Kaoru whined, placing his own hands over Hikaru's.

"On cold winter nights we keep each other warm."

"Hikaru…You promised that was a secret," the younger twin blushed, turning his head away slightly. "You promised…You know how easily I'm embarrassed."

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot," Hikaru replied gently, running his fingers down his brother's cheek. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," he pressed his forehead to his twin's. Luna was watching them intently now, her icy blue eyes focused completely.

"Hikaru…" this time, the voice sounded different. Kaoru was unsure of himself."There," Luna said, pointing to Kaoru. "That voice of doubt," she took another sip of her coffee, as if what she had just said meant absolutely nothing.

"We were ignoring you," Kaoru broke the awkward tension and took a seat next to Luna "You weren't annoyed by that, were you?" he asked softly, his voice as if it was about to break. Hikaru took a seat between the two.

"Do forgive us," he apologized. He knew he needn't do so. That was what women liked.

"My brother is a bit of a fool…" Kaoru said as he appeared on Luna's other side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh…Don't be so harsh," the older twin said, turning to face him.

It was rare for the pair to face each other so soon. That day, they had both wanted to. They had both felt the need. Luna looked back and forth between them, interest clearly pasted on to her features. They'd never grow up. They were still putting on these acts and playing pranks and cruel jokes. It wasn't a surprise. If they did love each other, they'd have to hide it. Twins their age holding hands was…Looked down upon.

"You don't know how your brother feels, do you, Kaoru?" she asked, finishing her coffee with a smile.

The twins looked at her and then to each other again. That was rare. Their customers never singled one of them out. Their lips parted, but neither said anything. Luna smiled, and stood, gently touching Kaoru's shoulder as she walked away. "Tamaki-senpai, may I speak with you for a second?"

Tamaki's sparkling eyes met hers immediately. After excusing himself from his princesses, he walked over to her. He placed his hands in his pants pockets, leaning his weight onto one leg casually. "Yes, princess? Are the twins being troublesome?" he asked with his princely smile.

"No, no, they're being great. It's just…I was wondering if I could have a few minutes alone with them…" she asked sweetly, clasping her hands in front of her. "It'll only be a moment or so, I promise."

He looked doubtful at first, as if he didn't really trust her. An adorable look of confusion crossed his features and he called Kyoya over. After discussing it, they finally agreed and managed to get all of the girls out of the room and out into the gardens. On his way out, Kyoya gave her a look of warning.

Returning to the twins, she smiled. "Shall we move to a couch?" They exchanged doubtful looks, but they followed her. Kaoru sat next to Luna, his fingers lacing and then unwinding nervously. "She's wants us to…"

"I know," Hikaru cut him off, feeling no need for him to finish the sentence. "I don't know what to say," he sighed, crossing his arms. He took a deep breath and let it out, shaking his head.

"I don't know either." Out of habit, Kaoru took his twin's hand and held it tight. Luna moved so that she was sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Do I love you?" Hikaru finally asked, breaking the silence.

"How am I supposed to know?!" the younger twin squeaked, obviously finding the question unfair.

"Do you love me?" he looked at his mirror image, his eyes reflecting everything Kaoru felt perfectly. "If you love me, then I know I love you."

"But what if I don't kn…" he didn't have the chance to finish. Hikaru's lips met his quickly and quietly, as if he knew that Kaoru would answer that way. Luna fell off the couch with a loud crash. Shortly, two sets of amber eyes appeared over the arm of the couch. They laughed then, pointing at her.

She frowned. "Yeah, ha, you would have done the same thing," she shot back. When her phone began to ring, she sat up and removed her phone form where she kept it strapped to her thigh. "Hello," she answered cheerfully with a smile, even though her eyes were locked in a glare on the twins. Her smile disappeared shortly after and she jumped to her feet. "What?!" she squeaked. "I…I understand…I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up her phone with a sigh.

"What's up?" Hikaru asked, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck casually. They smiled, still finding it amusing that she had fallen.

"That was…My house just burnt down…" she trailed off. She crossed her arms. Her thoughts were swirling incoherently around in her head, and she placed a hand on the couch to steady herself.

"So? Your parents can buy another one," Hikaru said matter-of-factly, shrugging.

"No…You don't understand," she said softly, looking at them with emotionless eyes. "My house burnt down with my parents _inside_."


	2. Chapter 2: Painted Smile

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran. I also don't own the song 'My Favorite Accident' by Motion City Soundtrack that inspired this chapter.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Two - Painted Smile**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for future chapters.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. Also, I really appreciate how quickly some of you subscribed to this story. I really appreciate it. Next chapter will be more interesting - Promise.

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"Wow, it really did burn," Hikaru whistled, shoving his hands into pants pockets. He and Kaoru were leaning against their family limousine casually. Tamaki had literally forced them, more Haruhi than Tamaki, to take Luna to her home. The insane blonde had been rambling on about 'proper host behavior' when they walked out. 

"That's obvious, isn't it?" Kaoru laughed, shifting his position. His eyes flicked about the scene in boredom. The entire roof had caved in, leaving the house a blackened pile of rubble. Luna had been standing in the same spot, never saying nor doing anything for nearly fifteen minutes now. The paramedics, firefighters, and police had left shortly after they arrived, allowing them into the crime scene.

Hikaru and Kaoru looked behind them as a cab pulled up, and a red-headed, middle-aged man stepped out. He frowned and almost stomped across the yard to Luna. She jumped when she spotted him, and ran frantically to hide behind Hikaru. "Please…Don't let him take me."

"What?" Hikaru whispered, looking over his shoulder at her in bewilderment. However, she only scooted behind him when the man approached them.

"Luna, we're leaving," he said firmly, holding his hand out to her.

She shivered. He was the last person she wanted to go _anywhere_ with. He could be taking her to Candy Mountain and she _still_ wouldn't go. She clutched the back of Hikaru's stretchy Santa shirt and buried her face in his back. He bent forward a little bit in surprise, but didn't run from her. "No, I won't go! I won't go with you, Ren!" she shouted.

The man frowned, taking his hand back and then crossing his arms. "You will do as I tell you," he said firmly, grabbing her wrist and dragging her from behind the older twin. His dark eyes were fiery with anger. She winced as his grip tightened on her. "Now, we're leaving Luna," he said, dragging her off to the cab.

She fought him, trying to walk the other way. He only jerked harder so that she let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground. "Hikaru, Kaoru," she called out as he attempted to pull her to her feet. "Don't let him take me…" she trailed off as Ren began to drag her along the ground.

The twins stared at the scene in complete confusion. What the hell was going on? It didn't matter anyway. It wasn't their problem. Besides, Luna was just being overly dramatic because her parents were dead. She'd chill out later. Just watch, come Monday she'd be back to her old strange self. They looked at one another, and then Hikaru opened their limousine door. Kaoru slid into the car shortly afterwards.

"Hikaru!"

The older twin stopped climbing into the car and stood erectly again. He gave her an annoyed look and waited for her to continue. He almost laughed at the scene playing out before him. Luna had her feet braced on the car door as Ren attempted to shove her into the car.

"Hikaru, he'll kill me!" she shouted, kicking at Ren with one of her uniform shoes. "I swear he will!" She breathed heavily as she gazed at the red-headed twin. Why wasn't he _doing _anything?! She felt her stomach drop as he waved and slid into his car. "Hikaru!" she screamed after him. It wasn't long after that Ren finally succeeded in shoving her into the car and closing the door.

"Hey, what was she yelling about?" Kaoru sighed as their driver began to drive them home. He blinked when he caught a strange look on his brother's face. "Hikaru?" he asked again, placing his hand over his brother's.

Hikaru jumped at his brother's touch and turned to face him. "It was nothing," he laughed with a reassuring smile. However, Kaoru was not fooled. Whatever Luna had said was bothering his twin, and that Kaoru did not like.

That Monday morning, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Haruhi sat in class together. Naturally Haruhi had asked about Luna when she realized that the girl in question wasn't in her usual seat. The twins had only shrugged as a reply. Haruhi frowned, her brown eyes skeptical. The twins were never that quiet. Even during tests they'd whisper to each other. But today, they were almost completely silent. Had something happened when they took Luna to her burnt down home?

Haruhi looked up from her work when the classroom door opened. And there was Luna, leaning against the doorway, a small smile on her face. There was a cut above her right eye, and even from a distance Haruhi spotted purple bruises just where her dress collar cut off. She frowned when she noticed the black haired girl wore white gloves. Now, she _definitely _knew something was up.

"I'm sorry, I slept a little late!" Luna laughed, as she closed the door behind her. A wave of relief washed over her when her teacher nodded and returned to his lecture. There for a second she thought she was in serious trouble. _Thank goodness…I thought he'd ask me why I was wearing gloves… _She swiftly walked to her desk and took her seat in silence. _Safe…I'm safe._

"Miss Altair," her teacher started coldly, after writing the next week's worth of homework onto the board. "Is sleeping late really an excuse? And may I ask what makes you believe you can wear those gloves?" Dropping his book to his desk, he moved to stand threateningly in front of her desk.

She shivered, staring at the floor to avoid looking him in the eye. Her teacher never _had _liked her. Matter of fact, she was pretty sure he had something against her. Well, not her as much as her family. Not many people had been fond of the Altair family, anyway. "I'm sorry, sir. But I…" she trailed off, trying to think of an excuse to why she was wearing gloves.

"Sir, if I may, we were baking yesterday and she burnt her hands fairly badly."

"Fujioka, I trust that you aren't lying for this girl?"

"No sir, I wouldn't do such a thing," Haruhi said firmly, bowing her head slightly in respect. She let out a sigh of relief when her teacher shrugged and walked back to his desk. _Why did I do that? Do I feel sorry for her? _She sat back down in her seat with a flop, and stared down at her homework. She knew the twins were staring at her, and she would never hear the end of it. That would definitely be their lunch topic for the day…

Luna turned to stare at Haruhi in disbelief. Did he just cover for her? That wasn't like Haruhi at all. He was supposed to be innocent. _Seems that there's more to him than everyone thinks… _She shifted in her seat so that she had a better view of the back of the room. When bright brown eyes caught hers, she smiled. "Thank you," she mouthed. She blushed when he nodded, smiling back.

"Miss Altair, face forward!"

"Oh, um, yes sir!"

When the lunch bell finally rang, Luna snatched her things up in her arms and deserted the room as quickly as she could. There had to be a way to get rid of Ren. She was about ready to try anything. Supporting her bag in one arm, she pulled off her gloves and stared down at the purple marks circling her wrists and the ugly blotches on her fingers. _If I have to kill him…If my only choice is to kill him, I'll do it._

"A strange girl, isn't she, Kaoru?" Hikaru sighed, linking arms with Haruhi as they left the room together. He leaned forward a bit to catch an odd look of contemplation displayed on Kaoru's fair features. "Kaoru?"

"Hm? Yeah, strange," he said half-mindedly, linking arms with Haruhi as well.

"You two took her home last night, right? Did something happen?" Haruhi's bored tone didn't quiet cover her interest. She looked to them both questioningly, but neither of them answered.

"No, nothing happened," they said in unison. "She didn't even cry. It was pointless," they shrugged.

As soon as they stepped foot in the lunch room, a familiar blonde bounded across the room. Acting on instinct, the twins picked Haruhi up and carried her away. "No, no, wait!" Tamaki squealed after them, chasing them as if unaware of the scene he was making. He skidded to a stop, nearly knocking into Kaoru in the process. "Where's Luna?" he asked cheerfully, looking around with a cute look of confusion on his face. "You killed her didn't you?! You devilish twins, how dare you kill one of our best princesses!" he whined, collapsing to the ground in panic.

"Eh, chill out. We didn't hurt her. She ran off before we had the chance to talk to her," they shrugged, uninterested. "Why don't you go find her yourself, milord?" they asked in unison, turning and dragging Haruhi off again. "Have fun!"

"Mommy?" Tamaki whined, standing and facing Kyoya with a pout.

"No."

"Fine…I'll find her myself. But I demand you keep those twins' filthy hands off my daughter!"

"Too late," Kyoya said blandly, raising a single finger to point across the cafeteria. Tamaki's eyes widened. The twins were clinging to Haruhi while feeding her the cafeteria food. Naturally, they were _way_ too close for Tamaki's taste. Then again, he thought that a mile was much too close. Frowning, he started to stalk across the cafeteria. Luna would have to wait. Right now, his daughter was more important.


	3. Chapter 3: Foolish Games

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou. And I also don't own the song 'Everything is Alright' by Motion City Soundtrack which partially inspired this chapter.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Three - Foolish Games**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for future chapters.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. I really appreciate all of the people that have suscribed to this story. It really makes me smile.

* * *

"Heeeyyy, what's that?" 

Luna nearly threw the pill bottle she was holding into the air from surprise. Coughing from where she choked on her water, she waved at Tamaki feebly. She held a hand over her heart as she sputtered. "Wh-What?" she coughed, bracing herself by placing a hand on the roof railing. "Yes?"

"That, what is it?" he repeated, this time pointing to the white pill bottle. His hand dropped as she began digging though her bag and pulled out two other small bottles. "You-You're a criminal!" he gasped, jumping back.

"Eh? N-No, these are all prescribed see?" she tapped one of her fingernails against the bottle. Opening the two bottles, she shook a pill out of each. "Don't give me that look," she smiled after taking the pills. "It's just a precaution, really."

"Precaution? Are you sick?" he asked as he moved to stand next to her. Leaning on the railing, he stared out over the elegant courtyard. The wind blew back his hair slightly, making him appear even more like a prince from a movie.

"No, like I said, a precaution. I have a nutrition deficiency and I don't get much sleep," she said lightly, as if it really wasn't that serious. It really wasn't that big of deal to her. She had been that way since Ren had come. She never felt like eating anymore, and thanks to her mother she had a weak disposition. She was so used to it that, she didn't care anymore. She leant on the rail next to him and clasped her hands. "You were looking for me for a reason, right, Tamaki-senpai?"

"Oh, yes! I wanted to make sure that you were okay? You know?" he asked, turning his head face her. His eyes fell to her hands and he frowned. She followed his gaze and blushed when she realized what he was looking at. She jerked her hands back and began digging through her bag for her gloves. "He…Does he hit you?" he said, attempting to grab her hand, but she already had her gloves on.

"Tamaki-senpai, you have more problems to worry about than my personal life. Go entertain your princesses – that's where you belong," she said calmly, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Just forget about me, I'm just a commoner now." Nodding to him one last time, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door that lead downstairs. She stopped after opening the door. "Hey…Tell Hikaru and Kaoru that I'm not angry, okay?"

She shook her head as she stepped carefully down the stairs. He wasn't following her. That was good. She pushed open the door that led to the third floor and headed down the hallway. It wasn't that she didn't like Tamaki's company; it was just that she didn't want him involved in all of this. He was way too innocent – too naïve. He'd crumble under the pressure. She stopped to stare at the doors of the third music room. "No, go on Luna, this isn't your world anymore," she told herself.

When she finally made it down to the floor level and out the grand doors, she pulled on her thin jacket. The snow on the ground was up to her shins, but she didn't have boots or anything. Ren was a major penny pincher. She crossed her arms nervously as a car pulled up at the front gates of the school. Ren stepped out, one hand on his hip and the other on the car door.

"Let's go, brat," he said sharply, motioning to the door. She let out an uneasy breath and looked at her feet. This cycle…It'd never end.

"What did you do?" Tamaki said choppily as he stormed into the Third Music Room. "What did you to little devils do?!" he squeaked this time throwing his arms in the air. He stomped toward the twins who stared at him blankly. They started to respond, but Tamaki cut them off. "Don't say you don't know what I'm talking about! What'd you do to her?" he stuck a finger in Hikaru's face and wagged it angrily. He'd do the same thing to anyone that hurt one of his princesses. He'd done it several times before – but this time they had gone too far.

"Tamaki-senpai, calm down. They don't know what you're talking about," Haruhi said, placing the school book she was reading down onto her lap. She raised an eyebrow as Kyoya stood and strolled over to the door. Was he closing the club for the day? _The Shadow King at work…_ "Honestly, calm down."

"But honey," he whined, falling onto the couch next to her. "They hurt poor Luna's feelings!"

"Did not," the twins defended.

"You did too!"

"Did not!"

"Tamaki-senpai, you're acting like a child!" Haruhi interrupted the next retort, sending Tamaki to his corner of woe. Rolling her eyes, she picked her book back up. "Do you two have any idea what he's talking about?" she asked in monotone.

"No," Kaoru answered honestly, shrugging. When Hikaru didn't respond, he turned to stare at him questioningly. "Hikaru?"

"Um…She said something about that Ren guy murdering her, but she's alive so I don't see what the big deal is. Milord you're just overreacting," he said blandly, shoving his hands in his pants pockets.

"Yeah, why are you so worried about her anyway, Tono? She's really weird," Kaoru added, only to find that Tamaki had disappeared from his corner of woe. The twins looked around in confusion and Hunny followed suit.

"This could be a problem," Haruhi said absentmindedly as she looked out the window to find Tamaki running down the street. She closed her book and placed it on a nearby table. A wave of silence swept through the room as they all joined her to look out the window.

"He doesn't know where he's going…" Hikaru started, crossing his arms.

"Does he?" Kaoru sighed.

"Well, let's go. He'll get lost," Kyoya said, writing something down in his forever-present binder before heading for the door.

"Tama-chan can be handful, ne?" Hunny asked as he bounced across the room. Mori walked silently behind him and the twins followed shortly after. Haruhi glanced out the window again.

"Hunny-senpai…Has no idea how right he is…"


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets Unkempt

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou, but if anyone feels generous... And I also don't own the song 'Standing Still' by Jewel which partially inspired this chapter.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Four - Secrets Unkempt**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for language and future chapters.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. To my dedicated readers - Thanks. And to my new readers - thank you as well.

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"Thank you, come again!" Luna called in the sweetest voice she could manage. When she was sure that no other customers were going to enter, she laid her head on the desk tiredly. _I'm so tired…I still have another ten minutes to go, too… Ren is going to go all crazy because I had to stay here so late… I bet he'll really take it out on me to night since he had a bad day at work. Then he'll sleep it off and be like my best friend in the morning…._ She thought sadly as her head began to spin. 

"Again?" she moaned, crouching down behind the counter to dig through her bag. Finding her medication, she took her third supplement of the day out of her pill bottles and stood again. She frowned when she was almost positive that she saw blonde hair from the corner of her eye. As she poured herself some coffee, her eyes flicked about the restaurant suspiciously.

"Ne, Kyo-chan, is that candy?" Hunny asked from his position behind a nearby car. He pointed to the pills that Luna was taking.

"No, Hunny-senpai, those are pills," he replied calmly.

"Is Lu-Lu sick?"

"I'm not sure," Kyoya said seriously, glancing up from his writing.

As another pair of customers entered, Luna stretched and left from her position behind the counter to greet them. She bowed and led them to a table, giving the couple a set of menus. She smiled and left them so that they could talk, but stopped when she passed the window. That time she knew that she saw Hunny. She placed her hands on her thighs and leaned forward so that she could get a better look. Blonde and rusty red hair disappeared behind a mailbox. She frowned.

"What on earth…?" she said incredulously. Placing a hand on her hip, she turned her back to the window and walked away. "Now they're stalkers?" she squeaked in confusion.

"Luna, honey, can I speak with you for a moment?" the restaurant manager called from her position at the desk. She was a thin girl, only a few years older than Luna was. Her name was Mina, and her parents owned the restaurant but allowed her to run it.

"Yes? Whatever I did I'm very sorry I'm just…" she trailed off as Mina held up a finger to silence her.

"Dear, listen, that Ren boy was looking for you a few minutes ago. Is everything alright at home?"

"Yes, he's just worried, I guess," she lied through her teeth. Forcing a smiled onto her face she glanced over her shoulder to her customers. "I really need to help them…"

"Your uniform doesn't hide those bruises so well – you're a terrible liar," Mina said, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'm not lying," Luna whined before turning her back to the woman. "Excuse me, I have to work."

"Your shift is over."

"Then I must leave!" she corrected, grabbing her jacket and bag from under the counter and running for the door. She didn't even look back when Mina called her name, she only waved. Unfortunately for her, Ren was waiting outside for her. "R-Ren, why are you here? You're ill remember, you shouldn't be out in this weather."

"Are you forgetting how late it is?" he asked coldly.

"I'm sorry, I had a scheduling conflict here," she said quietly, keeping her eyes on the ground. She could hear shuffling behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the host club moving to another area on the street. She jumped when Ren's hand struck her face. She jerked her head back and her breath caught in her throat.

"You little brat, how dare you look away when I'm speaking to you?!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently, and she stared back at him blankly.

"I'm a horrible person, I know," she sighed as he grabbed her wrist and began dragging her down the street. She could hear the host club following after her and apparently Ren did too. He took so many detours that even she didn't know where she was. Before she knew it, she was being shoved into the apartment. Ren stared at her with that stare he always gave her as a warning. "Let me change into something that's okay to be stained..." she muttered.

"Agh! I can't believe you lost her!" Hikaru shouted at Tamaki who cringed and started to draw circles on the ground with gloom.

"Easy, Hikaru," Kaoru said softly as he wrapped his arms around his brother's waist.

"Let's go," Haruhi called from the window of the limousine. She pushed open the door and slid over as Tamaki reluctantly climbed in. Kaoru hung back after his brother entered the limo. He looked around when he thought he heard someone call for help. He shook his head, deciding it was only his imagination.

When they all drove away from the area together, Tamaki crossed one of his legs over the other and crossed his arms. "We have to do something."

The next day at school as Luna was walking down the hallway, someone grabbed her hand. She turned to yell at the person, but her anger faded to surprise when she met familiar amber eyes. "Kaoru?" she clasped her hands together as he released her and awkwardly placed his hands in his pants pockets. She tilted her head to the side worriedly. "Is there something wrong? Where's Hikaru?"

"He's at the club," he finally answered after a moment of hesitation. He chose not to answer the other question, as he was already nervous enough without his twin around. He ran his fingers through his hair decisively. He needed to get it over with quickly… "Um…I'm sorry," he said quickly, looking away as he did so.

"Pardon?" she asked in confusion. "Why are you apologizing to me of all people? If it was about the seven of you stalking me yesterday, I wasn't upset or anything. But, I guess you saw something I didn't want any of you to see…" she trailed off.

"You knew we were there?"

"Yeah, Tamaki's horrible at hiding," a small smile graced her features and she crossed her arms. "You're going back to the club right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I wanted you to tell Tamaki to leave my personal life alone. It isn't any of his business."

"But you need help!" Kaoru raised his voice slightly, moving his hands for emphasis. "Why are you letting him do that? Why not go to the police?" he reasoned. He frowned when she shook her head. "You're that afraid of him?"

"I'm not afraid. I have nowhere else to go," she said simply, turning her back to him. She flinched when he laid a hand on her shoulder. _Don't touch me…_ "Kaoru…What changed your mind? You wouldn't help me before…Why bother now?" she said, her voice cracking. "You drove away then, walk away now!" she nearly shouted, already running down the hallway.

She didn't look back at him either. She ran until she met a doorway, and she entered it without thinking. The room before her was dark and she felt around for a light switch. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. Giving up, she let out a quiet sob as she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest slowly. "Mom…Daddy, please come back," she whispered.

"Hey, did you find her?" Tamaki asked hopefully as Kaoru trudged into the club room. He walked over to his twin and flopped down on the couch next to him, resting his head on Hikaru's shoulder.

"She wants us to leave her alone, milord," he said solemnly.

"Then we'll pay her a house visit!" Tamaki said cheerfully, jumping to his feet.

"No, you won't," Kyoya said, sending Tamaki back to his seat immediately.

"We'll go after club activities," the blonde corrected himself with the same amount of enthusiasm as before. Kaoru looked to his twin worriedly.

"Hikaru…I don't think she'll…" he trailed off, not wanting to say the last of it. _Live that long, _his mind finished for him. He blushed as Hikaru pulled him closer.

"I know, but you worry too much."

"Ren, are you okay?" Luna asked in an uncaring monotone as she entered the kitchen. She was wearing jeans and white long sleeve shirt with a blue t-shirt over it, and her hair was held back by a bandana from where she had been cleaning. The man turned to glare a suspiciously before grabbing her arm and throwing her against the wall. She hit it roughly, causing a picture to fall from the wall. _What did I do this time?_

"Don't say a word, you bitch!" he yelled.

"She likes strawberries, ne?" Hunny asked sweetly as they stopped the limousine outside of Luna's apartment building. Kyoya had found her address in the school records. The group emerged from the limo to hear muffled crashing and yelling from the building. They looked at each other worriedly. Haruhi rang the doorbell, but it was either unnoticed or ignored.

"All you've done is made my life miserable from the start!" an infuriated voice yelled from inside the home, and it was followed by another loud crash.

"Luna?" Haruhi called in worry. No answer.

"I told you," Kaoru whispered, taking his brother's hand out of habit. He pulled on the door, only for it to swing open easily. Releasing Hikaru, he stepped into the house and looked around. "Luna?" he asked softly. He was about to call her name again, but he was cut off as she knocked into him. Catching her shoulders, he held her steady. She shook in his grasp. She turned her head quickly to glare at him. Blood was running down over her right eye, and her lip was busted.

She stared at him in surprise. Ren grabbed her wrist and jerked her over to him, completely ignoring their company. She lowered her eyelids slightly as the man began shaking her again. She didn't even bother trying to escape him. There wasn't a point in it. _Leave…_ she thought, but couldn't find the words to actually tell her unexpected visitors to go.

By this time, the rest of the host club had joined Kaoru. They stood there in disbelief, not fully believing their eyes.

"Whore, now you have seven boyfriends, too?" Ren yelled, kicking her so that her back banged against the kitchen counter. She attempted to grab the counter to keep from falling but shattered a glass plate and cut her hand in the process. She fell to the ground slowly, pushing herself up onto her knees, she panted. Haruhi started to run forward, but she held a hand up to tell her to say back. Ren disappeared out of the house soon afterwards.

"Lu-Lu is hurting?" Hunny cried, crawling up into Mori's arms as Luna stood unsteadily, but shooed away anyone who tried to help her. When she finally steadied herself, she looked down at her hand that was now cut to pieces. She was shaking, but she never cried a tear. She left the room in silence until she found a first-aid kit. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she began bandaging her hand.

"No, Hunny, I'm fine," she said, wiping a hand across her eye so that she could see a little better. She smiled, finding the serious looks on their faces funny and out of place. "You came at a bad time. I'm a mess," she laughed, but even Tamaki could tell she didn't mean it. She gazed at them tiredly. "Did you need something?"

"We came to check on you," Haruhi said slowly, not offering to leave her friends. She didn't know what to do. What could she do? Say that she was sorry she just had the hell beat out of her? That wasn't even worth it. She looked to Tamaki who was in tears. _Real pain, he isn't used to it. _When she looked back to Luna, it was in fact the twins that had the courage to approach her first. Yet, Luna remained silent, as if her mind wasn't where her heart was.

"Lunie, why didn't you tell daddy that he was hurting you?" Tamaki finally whined as he found his voice. He sat down in one of the chairs near her and leaned forward. The others joined them at the table shortly after, all of them still confused about what had happened.

"Don't…Don't blame him," she said softly, shaking the twins away as she stood. "It…Really isn't his fault," her voice was distant as she shuffled across the room and began rummaging through the cabinets. "Ren…He's having a difficult time right now. He's caught something, I don't know what. But, it's screwing with his mind. He just throws fit sometimes," she said absently as she placed a teapot onto the stove to boil. She smiled. "That seriousness doesn't suit you, Tamaki-senpai."

"Don't smile like that!" Hikaru griped, tapping his fingers on the table with irritation. "He's going to kill you at this rate." He pushed his chair slightly away from the table so that Kaoru could sit on his lap.

"But I told you that, didn't I?" she asked almost smugly, as she finished making tea for them all. It was true; she _had_ told them about it. They hadn't listened, but that was okay. She wasn't angry. "But that isn't what you wanted to hear, is it?" She asked, removing some teacups from the china cabinet. "So, what do you want me to tell you? That I'll tell the police what's been going on? I can't, I'm sorry."

She began filling the teacups with tea quietly, and she heard someone stand. Shortly after Hunny tugged on her shirt, and she smiled down at him. "Come on," she picked him up and held him with one arm. She let out a soft laugh when he buried his face in her neck and started to cry. "Oh, Hunny, don't cry. I'm not hurt. I'm fine, see?"

"Say that you'll see a doctor," Kyoya spoke for the first time in the conversation. Haruhi nodded in agreement.

"You're pale," Haruhi added seriously.

"I'm always pale," Luna replied, carrying the tray with tea on it with one hand and supporting Hunny with her other arm. "You mean paler? I'm dizzy too." She gave Tamaki the oddest look when he jumped to his feet and took the tray from her, placing it on the table. She sighed, noting the expectant look on Kyoya's face. "Okay, fine, but he's coming here. I'm not leaving this apartment," she said firmly, flopping down in a chair next to the twins and placing Hunny on the ground. She served them all tea and sipped it in silence.

"You want to know something odd?" she smiled faintly. "I'm…Really sleepy," she said as her world began to spin. Soon after, everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5: Goodnight Sweethearts

**Disclaimer**: I really wish that I did own Ouran...I don't own the song 'Here In Your Arms' by Hellogoodbye which inspired this chapter.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Five - Goodnight Sweethearts**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for future chapters.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. This chapter probably could have been better...

* * *

"She's malnourished and her blood pressure is unstable. You really should send her to the hospital." 

"If we cure her malnutrition, then it wouldn't be necessary to tamper with her blood pressure, as that would stabilize her overall, correct? She wishes to stay here, and I'm positive she doesn't need anymore stress at this point."

"It isn't that simple to regulate the eating habits of someone her age. It may take weeks depending on how her body reacts to the food. The best thing for her is to be in a hospital."

"Thank you for your assistance, but an ambulance is not required. You may leave now."

Luna had watched the entire conversation from her bed, positive that Kyoya and the doctor hadn't noticed her consciousness. She sat up, rubbing the back of her neck to release the tension there. She looked around, her eyesight still a bit blurry from her sleep. Everything looked like it always did, but something felt out of place. It was too quiet. _The calm before the storm…?_

She jumped and dove back under the blankets when her bedroom door opened. She carefully placed herself in the position that she had been in during the doctor's visit, though she was sure it wasn't completely correct. Closing her eyes, she attempted to stabilize her breathing. _I wish that…They'd leave and pretend this never happened. It'd be better for all of us._

"When do you think the old man will be back?" Hikaru whispered, closing the door once everyone was in the room. He and his brother sat down on the floor and leant their backs against the bed.

"I don't know," Kyoya said, but glanced at the clock all the same. He leant against the door, writing in his notebook.

"We really should go. If he comes back and we're here, she'll be in more trouble," Haruhi said reluctantly, not exactly wanting to go but fearing for the girl's well-being at the same time. What if Ren did come back while they were there? He could very well kill her, but if they did leave…If they left, who'd be there to stop him if he did try to kill her?

"We can't leave her," Kaoru said, closing his eyes sleepily. "That guy is a complete mental case." He leant his head back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. What were they going to do?

"Someone should stay with her," Hikaru suggested, laying his head on his twin's shoulder.

"As the father, I shall stay," Tamaki announced, hopping up onto the bed next to Luna.

"No way, if you stay she'll get worse instead of better," the twins said blandly, sending Tamaki to his corner of woe.

"I want to stay with Lu-Lu, ne, Takashi?" Honey asked sweetly. No one said anything, but they appeared to be considering it. That was until they thought of Hunny's food choices. Sweets weren't exactly what she needed…

"No, Hunny-senpai, I don't think that's a good idea," Haruhi said doubtfully. Hunny pouted, but brightened when Mori picked him up, promising to by him cake later if he was quiet.

"We'll stay," the twins said, to which Tamaki completely blew up.

"I'm not leaving my daughter in your care! What if you…," he trialed off as images of the twins torturing Luna filled his mind. His eyes widened and he curled into a small ball in fear.

"Tamaki-senpai, I don't think Hikaru and Kaoru would go that far…" Haruhi sighed, causing Tamaki to whimper.

"Kyo-chan should stay, he knows what a doctor does," Honey offered. They all looked at Kyoya who seemed to be the most valid choice.

"No, I have to take care of hospital preparations," he said, shooting down the idea without even looking up from his notes.

_And the cold hearted Shadow King emerges, _the twins shuddered, hugging each other.

"I could stay…" Haruhi offered, seeing that any of the males staying with Luna would probably drive the girl insane. She rolled her eyes when Tamaki latched onto her.

"No, I couldn't bare the thought of leaving my two darling daughters with a raging psychopath!" Tamaki squealed, the image of the apartment building exploding with the girls inside.

"That was quiet rude, actually," Kyoya said absentmindedly, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "If Haruhi isn't 'allowed' to stay, then Mori-senpai is left."

"Ah," Mori said, seeming not to mind.

Kaoru looked at the stoic boy doubtingly. _I hope he says more than 'Ah' to her when she wakes up…_ he thought dully. Hikaru studied his twin's look worriedly. Lacing fingers with his brother he smiled at him.

"Actually, Mori-senpai, don't you have a kendo tournament tomorrow?"

"Oh, yeah," Hunny whined in disappointment. "Then that would leave Hika and Kao, ne? They'll be good, Tama-chan, give them a chance."

Tamaki started to argue, but Kyoya cut him off. "Should anything happen, one of you call my cell." They all stared at him, surprised by his abrupt decision. "Let's go, Tamaki," he said, snapping his binder shut and opening the bedroom door. After much whining, Haruhi managed to shove Tamaki out the door.

Haruhi fell back to walk next to Kyoya. When he looked down at her questioningly, she raised an eyebrow. "You trust them, Kyoya-senpai?" she asked in surprise. She was utterly shocked when a small smile appeared on the boy's thin lips.

"No," he replied bluntly, noting Haruhi's confused reaction. "But, you haven't noticed the way Luna acts around them?" He walked out the door before Haruhi ever even had the chance to think about it. She frowned and followed after him, deciding to leave the matter alone for now.

"Eh, I'm going to go take a shower," Hikaru sighed indifferently after the group left, rubbing the back of his neck. "You coming?"

"Nah, I'll stay here."

"Whatever, your loss," Hikaru teased, walking out of the room with a laugh.

Kaoru ran his fingers through his hair before flopping down on the bed next to Luna. He closed his eyes sleepily, figuring that she probably wouldn't wake up until morning.

"They're gone now, right?" Luna rolled over and smiled as Kaoru's amber eyes met hers. When he nodded, she threw her duvet back and sat up. "I'll go make dinner then."

"Think again," Kaoru said bluntly, pushing her back down with one hand. He sat up and crossed his legs. "Ren…He's really scary, you know?" He fidgeted with the blanket before tossing it over her. She smiled and shook her head to say yes. "I don't get it. Why do you smile when he beats the hell out of you everyday?"

"Because… I like it when people smile. I'd allow him to hit me a thousand times, just to see him smile once in satisfaction," she smiled, sitting up and crossing her legs as well. She couldn't help but notice how tired Kaoru looked. He was blinking frequently to keep himself awake. His hair slightly was messed from where he had apparently fallen asleep while she was still unconscious. And yet…There was something so endearing in his bright eyes.

"Hey, Haruhi just called and said that there's supposed be a snow storm tonight," Hikaru said helpfully as he entered the room, still drying his hair. Luna stared at him in disbelief. Was he wearing _her _bathrobe? Her head dropped. Was there anything the twins _wouldn't_ do?

"Snow storm? Can I go and look for Ren? What if he's out there…" Luna trailed off as Kaoru pressed a finger to her lips.

"No," they chorused.

Sighing, Luna flopped back down onto the bed as she realized there was no way she was going to get what she wanted from them. She closed her eyes. _They're so stubborn…_ Her eyes shot back open when arms snaked around her sides. She shot up, jumping out of the bed in the process.

"Luna, what are you doing? It's time for bed," they whined mischievously.

"Um…You two can have my bed and I'll just go…" she started as she began walking to the door, only to dragged back to the bed and pushed under the covers. She sighed inwardly, not wanting to argue with them. Besides, she could probably sneak out while they were asleep. It was probably better that way.

"Would you feel better if we slept close to you?" Kaoru cooed, lying down on her left side and snuggling up to her.

"Or do you want us to act like Hunny, ne, Lu-Lu?" Hikaru chirped, lying down and curling up like a kitten at her right side.

Luna relaxed in defeat. "Whatever, I don't care what you do, just don't sleep so close to me," she said, leaning over Kaoru to grab her hairbrush which she threw at the light switch to turn it off.

"Good night, Lunie," the twins cooed, matching smirks on their faces as they wrapped their arms around her waist.

"You've got to be kidding me…" she muttered, closing her eyes. Of all things she had been through in her life, this one had to be the strangest. She knew the twins were already asleep, but she didn't try to escape their arms. She smiled to herself. For once, she finally felt safe enough to sleep._ Only in their arms…Can an awkward moment be turned into a safe haven._


	6. Chapter 6: Everything Will Be Alright

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou, really wish I did though.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Five - Everything Will Be Alright**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for language.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. A special thanks to APhantasmagoriaOfPhun for the lovely review. Cute username too. Anyway, the next chapter will probably have fluff in it somewhere, you never know. It'll probably be up today, since I have nothing better to do. Okay, so, enjoy!

* * *

Luna looked at her surroundings in confusion. Where was she? Why was everything so dark? She looked to the sky, but no moon was overhead and no ceiling was present. Looking down, there wasn't a ground either. Only suspended darkness loomed around her. "Hello?" she called, taking a few steps forward. There was no answer, but a soft sound that resembled the swish of flowers under foot. "Can anyone hear me? HEY!" She sat down with a quiet sigh. "I'm all alone…"

"Wearing your grief again, I see. Lunie, if you keep acting like that, you'll never have any friends."

"Mother?" she asked, pushing herself to her feet. "Mother, where are you?" She walked around, but only felt that she was going in circles. _What's going on?_ "What the heck is going on?!" she yelled. "It's always one thing after another when I didn't even understand what was happening to start with!"

"There, you're doing it again. You're such a crybaby.

"I'm not crying!" Luna's voice echoed and she began to follow her mother's voice. She could hear laughing now, and her parents talking. "Mother? Daddy?" When a small light came into view she started to run toward it. Frowning, she stopped. Something wasn't right. Her parents were dead. They couldn't be talking to her. This wasn't real. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Worthless kid, aren't you? You were too good to even save the only person that offered to care for your when your parents died," a familiar voice laughed. "You don't have a place in the world. Hell awaits you, kid." The area lightened, revealing a graveyard. Sitting on her mother's grade was a smirking Ren. She ran over to him, going to tell him that he'd freeze to death in the snow, but she stopped short. He was dead. He already _had _frozen to death.

She collapsed to the ground, clasping one of her hands over her mouth. This couldn't be real. He wasn't dead! He couldn't be…He just…Couldn't leave her yet… When her eyes opened again, concerned amber eyes were gazing down at her in the dim morning light.

"Good morning," Kaoru whispered, brushing away the strands of hair that were sticking to her damp face. "You okay?"

Luna sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. She nodded slowly, shivering a bit. The heat must have been knocked out by the snow storm. She let out an unsteady breath and pulled the blanket around her shoulders, trying not to wake the sleeping Hikaru in the process. "Did I wake you?"

"You slapped me," Kaoru said dully, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"I was…Having a nightmare, I'm sorry." She pulled away from him and slid back down under the blankets and sheets. She closed her eyes, though she really didn't want to go to sleep. Something about that dream had seemed too real. She prayed that it wasn't a nightmare that would eventually come true.

"You know," Kaoru whispered, laying back down himself, "My mother once told me that if you're surrounded by people who care for you, you won't have nightmares."

Luna rolled over to face him with a small smile. "Is that so?" she asked breathily, closing her eyes again. Timidly, she lifted her hand and placed it over his. _Take chances, make mistakes, but never regret anything…Mother, I'll take your advice, this time. _Surprisingly, when she finally did fall asleep, she had the same dream again. But when she awoke, she wasn't upset.

However, she was slightly annoyed by the argument she woke too. Apparently, the twins were trying to decide who was going to get out of bed first or something like that. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and sighed. "I'll go speak with the landlady about the electricity," she said decisively, attempting to crawl from the abed. Somehow she managed to escape the entanglement of limbs and cloth and stumbled onto the floor.

"You'll catch a cold," Hikaru warned, remembering an unheeded warning of getting out of a warm bed and immediately into cold air that he had received as a child.

"I'm perfectly fine," she laughed, waving as she left the room. She dug through the clean laundry in the drier until she found something that was hers, which unfortunately turned out to be black short shorts and a white tank top, and then pulled on her shoes as she hopped out the door. It was literally below zero out, but there were a few children who lived in the other apartments playing in the snow. She smiled and waved at them before running down the steps to her landlady's apartment door.

It took her a total of fifteen minutes to actually escape the old woman's chattering and make it back up the stairs to her home. By the time she was in the house, her fingers were starting to turn blue, as were her lips. She kicked off her shoes and scampered through the chilly room quickly. At this rate, she actually would catch a cold. If the power was out, that meant the stove was too, which ruled out breakfast.

"The power's out all over town," she said matter-of-factly as she entered her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind her. She laughed at the looks on their faces when they saw her clothing. _They think I'm crazy…_ She thought as she crawled onto the bed and under the blankets.

"Luna, you don't seem ill to me at all," Hikaru stated after a long period of silence. He was sitting near the end of the bed, wrapped in a quilt he had discovered in the closet while Luna was out.

"It's because all of you are overreacting. Even if I have a weak immune system, I've learned to adapt to my surroundings. It was survive or be killed with Ren," she replied with a shrug, moving so that she was sitting next to Kaoru and sharing another quilt with him. She'd go get her own blanket, but her feet were numb. She crossed her legs, debating if she should call to check on Haruhi and the others. Though, she was sure Tamaki would call soon enough.

"That's…"Hikaru started.

"Really admirable," Kaoru finished his twin's thought.

"You know, that's really--" Luna started to say, but was interrupted.

"Annoying?" they asked in unison.

"I was actually going to say amusing, or cute," she said smiling. The twins stared at her shocked. _Does everyone else find it annoying?_ She thought, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, Luna, why do you try to please people all the time?" Kaoru asked, figuring it was a better time than any to ask such a random question.

"I've told you before," she replied plainly.

"You can't be happy acting like someone else all of the time," Hikaru defended.

"If it makes someone else happy, then I'm happy."

"That's not normal. People aren't that selfless."

"Good things come to those who wait," she said with a smile. She glanced out the window anxiously. Where was Ren? He should have been back by now… _Probably left for good…That bastard…_

"You lost me," Hikaru said, pulling his quilt tighter around his shoulders.

"You think I'm a pleasant person, right?" she asked, to which he nodded. "I didn't ask for you to be my friend, yet here you are. Here we are," her voice was slightly distant as though she was thinking about everything that had happened in the past few days. She glanced to each of the silent twins and found slightly sad expressions on their fair features. She shook her head. "Well, I'm going to go look for Ren now. He's probably hiding in some arcade – playing games and not eating properly."

"You can't do that," Kaoru said firmly, latching onto her waist as she attempted to leave the confinements of the bed. She swatted at him with one hand while clinging to the edge of the bed with the other. Just a few moments later, Hikaru's cell phone rang. Luna looked to Hikaru and then to the phone that sat on her bedside table. Before he had the chance to grab it, she lunged for it, fell off the bed, rolled, and flipped it open.

"Hello," she answered, sticking her tongue out at the glaring twin. Hearing Kyoya's voice nearly drowned out by sirens, she held the phone out to Hikaru. When he took it from her and answered, she gave him a questioning look.

"I sent out a team to find Ren yesterday, and they found him," Kyoya paused.

"That's great, Luna will--" Hikaru started, only to be cut off.

"He's dead, Hikaru. He froze to death."

Luna climbed back onto the bed when Hikaru's eyes widened. Had something happened? _Oh my…I really hope their house didn't burn down too,_ she thought sarcastically.

"Oh, should I tell her?" Hikaru asked.

"If you think you can keep her from leaving the house," Kyoya replied bluntly.

"Yeah, okay. Later Kyoya," he said hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the bed. He looked to Luna. "I can't tell you, it's a surprise," he said, deciding against telling her. If she could stand up against Ren, who knew what she could do to them…

"Fine, I respect your choice," she said simply, though a bit of venom was present in her voice. She glanced back at Kaoru who had yet to release her just as the power flickered on. "I'm going to make breakfast, stay in here until I get the heat working," she said, pushing out of Kaoru's grasp roughly. She left the room silently, closing the door behind her.

"What did he say?" Kaoru asked, a thoughtful expression adorning his features.

"They found him dead," Hikaru said, causing Kaoru to gasp. "There's nothing we can do about it, we can't bring him back to life. Anyway, Kyoya said not to tell her unless we can keep her here," he continued softly. They heard a door slam, and flung open the door to find Luna missing.

"You think she heard us?" Kaoru asked, already pulling on his shoes as he opened the door.

"No doubt about it," Hikaru sighed in an irritated tone. They grabbed their coats and ran out of the house after her. The older twin pulled out his phone and called Kyoya to tell him what happened. To say the least, he wasn't happy with the news and then Tamaki came on the line, yelling and ranting.

"I knew we shouldn't have left her alone with you!" Tamaki whined dramatically, only for Hikaru to hang up the phone on him.

"How would she know where he is? Kyoya didn't tell us," Kaoru panted as they ran along the footprints in the freshly fallen snow. Strangely, they were actual _foot_prints as though she'd left without putting on her shoes. When he started thinking about it, he had a sinking feeling he knew where she thought he was. "The nightmare she had last night, she's headed to wherever it took place."

"Damn it, Ren! You can't leave me!" Luna shouted, ignoring the stinging sensation of the winter snow on her bare skin. She ran to her mother's grave in all out panic and found paramedics, Kyoya and Tamaki standing there. Tamaki attempted to stop her, but she shoved him out of her way. Skidding to a stop, she landed awkwardly on her knees next to Ren's frozen body. "Ren!" she shouted, shaking him violently.

"Miss, you can't be here right now," a paramedic said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder only for it to be knocked away.

"Luna!" Tamaki cried, running to her side and trying to drag her away from the frozen body. "Please let go of him, you'll freeze too," Tamaki said gently, taking off his coat and wrapping it around the girl's shoulders.

"Don't leave me…Please don't leave me too…I don't want to be alone," she hissed, holding on to his shoulders for dear life.

"I told you not to tell her," Kyoya said coldly, his aura crackling in anger as the twins finally reached the site.

"She overheard us, it wasn't intentional," Hikaru grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets as he watched the scene playing out before him. The paramedics were standing around, unsure what to do, and Tamaki was trying to drag Luna away from the crime scene.

"You aren't alone, you have us. We'll take care of you. Stop this, you'll get sick," Tamaki pleaded with the girl only to have her swat him away and then throw his coat at his face. He stood there in shock, holding the coat in his arms.

"Move, son, she has to leave now," one of the men said, ripping Luna away from Ren. She thrashed wildly in his arms, only for his grip to tighten on her. Wincing, she stopped her movement.

"Stop, you're hurting her!" Kaoru yelled, running over to them.

"We need a sedative here, otherwise this one with have a breakdown," the paramedic said bluntly.

"No, you don't," Kaoru said firmly, grabbing Luna's wrist and pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly, trying to keep her from breaking away and running off to who knew where, taking Ren's body with her. After nearly ten minutes of struggling, her arms dropped to her sides and she looked up at him with sad eyes.

"He's not coming back, is he?" she whispered. Kaoru gazed down at her, the girl he'd seen smiling no matter what was beginning to cry. She was shaking from the cold and her own emotions. When he shook his head, her tears finally fell. She relaxed in his arms, gripping his coat as she buried her face in his chest.

"Tono, she's not wearing any shoes," Hikaru pointed out as he watched the girl have a complete emotional breakdown. She had lost her parents not even a week ago, and now she had lost the only person she had left to call family. What was worse, she never complained about it. She had never cried. She still loved him even though he'd beat her everyday. He couldn't imagine how she felt.

Luna submitted into leaving with Kaoru and Hikaru, who took her home in Kyoya's limousine. Haruhi was waiting for them there and she ran a hot bath for the girl before waiting in the kitchen for Kyoya and Tamaki to arrive.

A day passed and soon the days bled into a week. Yet, Luna only worsened. She refused to eat anything or see anyone. She'd only sit in her room with the door locked and the lights out. One or two of the host club members stayed at the house at all times, but none had any luck with talking to her. Even the hosts were in their own mini-depression for they knew there was nothing they could do to help her.


	7. Chapter 7: Paper Hearts

**Disclaimer**: I own Ouran only in my dreams  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Seven - Paper Hearts**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for language and sensitive themes.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. Well, here's your chapter!

* * *

"Luna?" Kaoru called, knocking on her bedroom door when he arrived that morning. The host club had been taking shifts in keeping an eye on her, but that was rather hard considering she wouldn't come out of her room for them _to_ see her. He sighed, leaning against the door. He and his brother usually did their shifts together, but Hikaru had decided on going to school that day so that he could take the semester test for the both of them.

Naturally, sitting in an apartment in silence was boring and he really missed his twin. It was the last school day before Christmas Break, and it was his mission to talk Luna into coming to the Host Club's dance so that they could keep an eye on her. That was no easy feat when she wouldn't answer him. "Luna, please open the door. It's just me today, Hikaru isn't here. Come on, talk to me," he called, knocking again.

He frowned slightly, realizing that he might as well just give up. She wasn't going to answer now if she hadn't any other time when he called. He started to walk away, but her bedroom door slowly opened. Luna stood in the doorway with sad eyes. She was wearing a white night gown and her hair was neatly brushed as if she actually had been taking care of herself. "You…You can come in," she whispered.

She waited until he was inside before she closed her bedroom door again. Her bedside lamp was on, and her bed was made and looked as if it hadn't been slept in for days. She offered him a small smile as she sat down on her bed. "I'm sorry that…I've worried you all," she said softly, staring down at her hands. "You must hate me."

"Are you kidding? Do you think I'd be here if I hated you?" he smirked, sitting down next to her.

"No, I guess not. It's nice to see your smile," she whispered, turning to face him. He looked tired, just like the other host club members had. When she was sure they had fallen asleep, she'd always leave her room to make her dinner and check on them. The twins always seemed to be the most worn out ones, as if they were still blaming themselves for what happened. But she didn't blame them.

She was too worried about the twins to have the time to blame anyone, anyway. One night when she had snuck out of her room, they were sitting on the couch playing some type of game. They were saying 'I love you' over and over again while staring into each other's eyes. Luna had just assumed that it was to see who would laugh first, but that wasn't the case. After the game went on for awhile, what was said changed.

Kaoru said that he loved Hikaru, but Hikaru said that he had loved Kaoru. Then the next round, instead of saying 'I love you', Hikaru said 'I love her.' Then the game ended with both twins staring off in different directions, as if nothing had happened. She knew it wasn't an act that they had planned before hand. And maybe that was why she hadn't slept that night. Maybe that was why she felt so bad seeing Kaoru alone now. That was why she had unlocked her door.

"Kaoru, what did Hikaru mean when he said 'I love her'?" she finally, asked crawling to grab a pillow to lie on. Lying down, she saw the apparent look of grief on his face. "Never mind, forget I asked."

"No, I thought I heard your door open then. He was talking about Haruhi," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. His amber eyes held the worst look of sadness in them – the look of loneliness. Luna knew that look well.

"But…Haruhi's a guy," she said slowly. She nearly fell off the bed in shock. How hadn't she noticed that before?! _Hikaru was gay! _She groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "I never thought that Hikaru of all people…"

"What are you talking about? You think Hikaru's gay?" he laughed then, lying down on the bed next to her. "I thought you had figured it out already. Haruhi's a girl," he said smiling. He didn't see a reason to keep it a secret anymore. She'd figure it out eventually.

"You're kidding me," she gasped, covering her mouth with one hand. That had certainly never crossed her mind. She frowned then. "Wait, he's in love with Haruhi? Does he…Does she know?" she asked, correcting herself in the middle of her sentence. He shook his head. "Are you going to tell her?"

"No, are you?" he asked, turning to face her questioningly.

"No!" she laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she slid off the bed and to her feet. "Up for breakfast?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. She felt so much happier when he smiled at her again, this time the smile more sincere. "Come on," she said as she offered him a hand.

As she began to mix the pancake batter, she glanced up at him. He was staring out the window with the cutest thoughtful look on his face. She turned on the electric oven and glanced at the calendar as she did so. Today was the date of the mid-term exams and that was probably why Hikaru wasn't with his twin. That meant they hadn't had a fight. A wave of relief washed over her. _Thank goodness…I'd hate to see their bond disappear. _Still staring at the calendar, she rummaged around in a cabinet until she felt a pan. Pulling it out, she placed it on the eye half mindedly.

There was a host club dance tonight as well. _Masquerade theme…Cute,_ she thought, pouring some pancake mix into the hot pan. "Hey Kaoru, what's your costume for tonight?" she called over her shoulder.

"It's a Victorian theme, so, I don't know," he said absent mindedly. He was quiet then as if he was thinking. "You're coming with us, right?" He straddled his seat and propped his arms up on the back of the chair.

"I don't go to Ouran anymore remember? I can't pay the fees," she replied lightly, placing sliced strawberries on top of her freshly cooked pancakes. She sprinkled a bit of powdered sugar on top of them before picking up the two plates and carrying them to the table. After setting them down, she turned off the stove.

"So? You can come with Hikaru and me," he reasoned with her as she sat down with him. She took a bite of her pancakes with a thoughtful look on her face.

"It's against Host Club rules," she said matter-of-factly, waving her fork for emphasis. She had read over the club handbook several times, just so she would know how far she could push them before Kyoya kicked her out. If she remembered correctly, the handbook stated that no host could bring another girl to the dance unless they came as that host's designated date.

"I know that. We'll just say you're my date for now, okay? That's what Tamaki suggested, anyway," he said, beginning to pick at the pancakes himself.

_That's what Tamaki suggested, he says. My date for now, he says. I'm just another girl to him. Talk about crushing someone's dreams_, she shook her head sadly. It was nothing new. Rejection wasn't a big deal, right? "No…I'll be fine here…" she trailed off when she found an incredibly dark look on his face. "Okay…Maybe I will go…" she said slowly. With that, his expression immediately brightened again. _Weird…_

They spent the rest of the day together, talking or playing games or watching some daytime movie on television. At one point, they were watching a soap opera, but they were making too much fun of it too really listen to the story line. It wasn't long afterwards that Kaoru had to leave to get ready for the masquerade, and Luna promised to meet him there. After he had left, she cleaned until it was time for her to go.

"Welcome to the Host Club Masquerade!" the hosts chorused. They were all dressed in costumes that concealed their beautiful faces. Luna smiled at them and waved before she was whisked away by one of the hosts. She was swept into a room, and a burgundy dress was placed in her arms.

"Tamaki-senpai picked this out for me, but we're about the same size, so…" Haruhi said, smiling as she pulled her mask off. "Don't give me that look, Kaoru told me," she said nonchalantly, helping Luna as she attempted to pull on the confusing dress. After many entanglements and falls, they managed to tie the dress correctly. "Shall we go?" Haruhi asked as Luna finished tying the ribbon her high-heeled shoes.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Lord Tamaki, where's Haruhi? Shouldn't he be here?" one of the host club's many princesses asked as she entered the ballroom.

Tamaki bowed to the girl, "Milady, Haruhi will be here shortly. He's escorting a sick princess to the powder room. But, let us enjoy this beautiful place together," he said, never stuttering once in his lie. He whisked the girl away into he crowd, and the twins sighed.

"That was close…" Kaoru and Hikaru said in unison. It was about that time that Haruhi jogged down the stairs and into the crowd. They stared after her, but only Hikaru followed. Then Luna appeared at the top of the stairs. She walked unsteadily in the heels, but met him at the bottom of the stairs without falling. Even though his dark blue and white mask covered all of his face except for his amber eyes, she knew which twin it was. She couldn't make a mistake on his identity. "Ready, princess?" he asked sweetly, offering her his hand.

"Please, don't call me that, Kaoru," she said blushing under her mask as she took his hand. He spun her gracefully as he swept her out onto the dance floor.

"Then what shall I call you?" he asked teasingly.

"My name," she laughed, having trouble to keep up with his expert step.

"Not here…Not now…No matter what I call you, you will always be the princess of my heart."

Luna smiled slightly and tilted her head to the side. "That's really sweet, Kaoru. But, shouldn't you be with your other princesses?" He only laughed and shook his head as they danced awkwardly through the crowd. She felt as if they were floating on air. But that was, of course, only when Luna wasn't bumping into other people. "You're really good at this," she laughed nervously.

"Better than the others?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied shyly. "This is really weird…" Kaoru leaned closer to her and tilted her chin up.

"Come, let's go to the gardens. What do you say, fair princess?"

Luna sighed, giving up on the princess argument. The rest of the Host Club watched from a distance. Mori and Hunny retired to cake, deciding not to get themselves involved in the mess. It wouldn't be long before Tamaki became defensive of his 'daughter'. Kyoya smiled a little. "It seems the father has been slacking on his duties…"

Tamaki looked to his friend, depressed. "Well, the mother hasn't been up to par, has she?" Kyoya only chuckled at him and made a shooing gesture that a mother would make. Tamaki sighed. Hikaru was tapping his foot, waiting on Haruhi to return from one of her princesses.

"I give up," Hikaru frowned.

"What?!" Tamaki's mouth dropped.

"Let her have him, they'll both be happy. I give up on stopping him, he wins," Hikaru seemed unhappy to let his brother go like that, but he sucked it in. He told himself not to be mad; it wasn't Kaoru's fault that they had fallen for each other. Besides, hadn't he abandoned Kaoru a long time ago to chase after Haruhi? They both needed the chance to chase after their own dreams – their own loves.

"How mature of you," Kyoya commented, adjusting his glasses.

"I don't care what Hikaru thinks! I shall not allow him to have her! Both of you twins are devilish, and you'll kill her!" Tamaki squealed, running off into the crowd, only to be dragged back by Haruhi. She released him in front of Kyoya and then walked off again with Hikaru. "My other daughter doesn't approve of my plan…" he whined.

Out on the balcony, Kaoru and Luna stood leaning on the railing, staring out over the rose gardens. She pulled her mask off, holding it with her index finger. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "You must get tired of wearing these costumes all the time," she said, reaching down to pull off one of her high heels.

"It's hard sometimes…" Kaoru shakily reached for her hand and took it. His rusty red hair was glowing strangely in the moonlight. "I hate dressing up when it comes to being around you, Luna. I want to be Kaoru Hitachiin, not someone or something else," he said softly, releasing her hand and blushing as he looked away.

"You know…You can call me princess on one condition," she whispered, smiling slightly as she turned to look at him. She brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

"And that is?"

"I can call you prince," she said softly. Kaoru smiled and lifted his mask entirely off his face.

"Well, princess, it's a deal, then." He smiled - his joy apparent in the dim lighting of the balcony. She giggled, shoving him gently.

"I told you it was weird!" She rolled her eyes as Kaoru laughed and shook his head. She sighed, looking out over the rose gardens again. She blanched when a cloaked figure caught her eye. She backed up a bit, shivering. "Who's...That?" she whispered. The figure gazed up at her, a creepy smile on its pale face.

"Hey, what's up?" Kaoru asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders reassuringly. She glanced back to the rose gardens, where only beautiful flowers stared back at her.

"I guess…I'm just seeing things…" she murmured, allowing herself to be led down the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8: Surprises at Midnight

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou, must you smite me about it?  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Eight - Surprises at Midnight**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M. Slight TamaxKyo.  
**Notes**:...I don't know what crevice of my mind this idea climbed out of.

* * *

After the dance was over, Tamaki had announced that there would be a little get-together party just for fun at his house. It was supposed to be just for the hosts, but somehow Luna had managed to be drug into it. And she had literally been drug – kicking and screaming – to the Suou mansion. It had all started with Tamaki deciding that his daughter couldn't take care of herself, then the twins agreed, and then, of course, Hunny wanted her to come too, and Haruhi commented on how it would be nice to have another girl around. 

That was why Luna was sitting in the middle of Tamaki's bed, pouting as the others sat in a circle playing commoner games. They had started playing Truth or Dare sometime ago, and the dares had gotten stranger and stranger. Like, at one point, Hikaru dared Tamaki to strip off everything but his boxers and run through the entire mansion screaming 'I'm a pretty princess!' Naturally, Tamaki didn't say no. And that had only been the _first _dare.

"Umm…Hikaru, truth or dare?" Tamaki said happily, pointing his finger to the twin who was currently wearing some type of ballerina outfit. That dare had actually been Hunny's doing… Though why Tamaki had a pink tutu wasn't exactly clear…

"Truth," Hikaru said promptly, really not wanting to have to wear anything else that would drag his self esteem further down than it already was. Then again, Kaoru was stuck wearing a schoolgirl outfit, so things weren't all that bad. He gently brushed his twin's thigh with his fingertips, just to get him to squeal and back away a bit.

"Alright then, what do you think of me?" Tamaki asked with a bright and hopeful smile on his face. He eagerly shifted onto his knees and leaned forward – ready to pounce if Hikaru said that he liked him.

"You're an idiot, Tono," Hikaru replied smugly. Tamaki retired to a corner of his bedroom and sulked there. Rolling his eyes, Hikaru pointed to Kyoya. "Kyoya, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Kyoya replied, shifting uncomfortably. He didn't like where this was going. His feeling only worsened when a devilish smirk appeared on Hikaru's lips.

"I dare you to do something that would shock even Mori-senpai," the eldest twin replied, lowering his eyelids slyly.

Luna's eyebrows rose in interest then. Crawling to the end of the bed, she flopped down on her stomach and propped her head up on one hand. _Shock even Mori…Is that even possible?_ Tamaki must have been thinking the same thing, for he returned to the group quickly. Before any of them had time to react, Kyoya calmly cupped Tamaki's chin in his hands and kissed him full on the lips.

For the first time in his life, Mori twitched.

Tamaki passed out as soon as Kyoya touched him, as if he already knew what was going to happen. Hikaru and Kaoru paled and fell over in shock, Haruhi was blue all over, Hunny stared at him wide-eyed, and Luna's mouth dropped in disbelief. She fell off the bed when her mind fully comprehended what had happened.

"Aww! Kyo-chan kissed Tama-chan!" Hunny squealed, jumping into Mori's lap jovially.

Moments later, Tamaki awoke and began yelling – extremely loudly – at Kyoya who only shook his head with a faint smile. The twins had crept off to change in all the confusion, and Haruhi was attempting to calm Tamaki down. Where Hunny and Mori had run off to, Luna didn't know, but she decided they probably ran off to find cake or something else that would help Hunny along with his tooth decay.

Tamaki's phone began ringing, but he chose to ignore and continue his ranting. After awhile, the ringing must have annoyed him, for he snapped. "Kyoya, if you ever do that again, I swear I'll – Luna, answer that stupid phone – kill you!" Luna saluted to his command and dove across the bed to grab the phone.

"Hello?" she asked cheerfully, smiling at Haruhi as she gave up and flopped down on the bed. "Yes, this is she. I accept the call." She sat up and crossed her legs. That must have been one of the Suoh family servants. They were the only ones, besides Tamaki's father, that knew she was in his room. She played with a strand of her hair as she waited for the phone line to connect.

"Hello? This is Luna Altair, correct? This is your grandfather," a very formal sounding voice said.

Her eyes widened and she waved a hand to Tamaki to get him to shut up. As if he sensed something was wrong, he did so. Since when did she have a grandfather? She had been told they died a long, long time ago. So this was good news? It must have been good news that couldn't wait, because according to the clock it was midnight. "My…My Grandfather? I have a grandfather?" she asked incredulously. Tamaki dove onto the bed then, barely missing poor Haruhi's head.

"Yes, on your mother's side, you do. You are aware that you are half-French, correct? You have also been told of your engagement?"

"Eh?!" she squeaked, nearly dropping the phone.

"You'll be meeting your fiancé after Christmas Break. Yes, that does mean you will be marrying someone," the man replied coolly.

"What do you mean I'm going to marry someone?! I'm sixteen!"

"You will marry Umehito Nekozawa. It has all been arranged," the man said wistfully. The flippant tone his voice really, really pissed Luna off.

She grabbed the first object she saw, a vase, and flung it at the wall. Kyoya didn't even twitch as the expensive antique shattered right next to his head. Tamaki squealed, diving under his bed for protection. "I do not know a single thing about his person! I _refuse_," she said darkly, already reaching for something else to throw. Haruhi jumped from the bed and began moving everything out of Luna's reach in an attempt to keep her from annihilating anything _else_ priceless.

"You cannot. You will not," her grandfather sighed.

"No," she spat back. Somehow she managed to grab a box of tissues before Haruhi could get to them. She threw those at the wall to, this time nearly missing Hunny who had just walked into the room with his cousin.

"Yes. You will be returning to Ouran Prestigious Academy after your break. You will be moved into one of my mansions this week. I trust your little host friends will help in making you comfortable."

Now, how in hell did he know about her friends? He had a spy! A spy was among them! _It's Hunny_, she thought evilly, turning to glare at the small boy. _He's too cute._ Not even the prospect of attending Ouran and having her own mansion eased Luna's temper. She wanted to scream – scream and cry about the injustices of the world. But she couldn't. Not while everyone was there. She would _not_ look weak in front of the people she cared for most. Oh no, she would walk calmly to a guest room, close the door shut, and rage peacefully inside those soundproof walls. "You know, I really hate you. I don't even _know_ you, but I hate you."

A gasp could be heard from under the bed. Hunny, who had been shaking in fear in Mori's arms, stared at her in shock. Mori and Kyoya went on unfazed by her comment and Haruhi stared at her with disappointed eyes. But she didn't care. Oh, she was _far_ beyond caring if they saw her temper. "I suppose you've realized this was in your parents' will. You have been adopted by us and you shall call me 'Father' and nothing else."

Luna felt around for something else to throw. She found nothing. Damn Haruhi and her efficiency. Instead she glared. She glared a glare that could that could make the strongest of men cry. Luckily, it wasn't directed at anyone in particular. "I said no," she repeated firmly.

"It doesn't matter what you say, dear. It's all up to me now. Goodnight, daughter," with those sarcastic words, he hung up.

Luna was shaking with anger as she started to place the phone down on its receiver. "Haruhi, please take the phone from me before I break it," she said politely, holding the phone out to the girl. She released it once she was sure the girl had a handle on it. She groaned, falling forward to bury her face in the clean bedclothes.

"Luna?" Tamaki asked timidly, slowly crawling from under the bed. He glanced from side to side before poking his head up above the mattress. "You want to tell Daddy what happened?" he asked softly, petting her hair.

Luna turned her head to face him. She still wanted to go find that guest room… "That was my grandfather in France. I'm…To be married," she said slowly. She sat up slowly, crossing her legs. Just thinking about it made her angry all over again. The twins opened the door and entered the room, questioning looks on their faces. _They must have heard the screaming_, Luna thought. "I'm to be married to…Umehito Nekozawa."

A unified scream then echoed through the Suoh mansion. Luna twitched. Hitting the bed with a thud as she flopped back down, she sighed. She wanted to express her rage by throwing heavy and sharp objects – preferably sharpened kitchen knives. "I hate my life," she moaned.


	9. Chapter 9: Wake Up, It's Bedtime!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Nine - Wake Up, It's Bedtime!**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: M, for future chapters. Suggestive themes.  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames.

* * *

"Hey, Luna…Luna, wake up!"

Luna let out a groan as she was shaken violently by the owner of the voice. She wanted to sleep…So badly. All that rage could really wear a person out. She pulled the blanket over her head. Maybe if she ignored them, they'd go away. That thought wasn't long lived, however. She poked her head out from under the blanket and glared at the shadowy figure angrily. "What?!" she spoke in an undertone so she wouldn't wake the other hosts that were scattered in various places around the room.

"Haruhi's not here, come with me to find her…Please?"

She frowned and rolled over so that she wasn't facing him. It was Tamaki. Did he ever sleep?! She sighed when he began whimpering. "Ask the twins, they'll help," she grumbled, rolling over onto her back.

"Ask those devils? They're probably the ones that kidnapped her!" he whined dramatically, lying down across her stomach.

"Have…Have you checked the house?" she choked out, shoving him off of her and sitting up. She rubbed her eyes wearily. Why was he doing this to her? Why didn't he ask Kyoya – well, maybe not Kyoya – but Hunny would be happy to help. The dark outline of Tamaki's head nodded. "Fine…I'll help, but you owe me," she mumbled as she forced herself to her feet.

As she followed Tamaki, she picked her way carefully across the room. One mess up and she'd step on someone. And if she stepped on someone, she'd never hear the end of it. It took her awhile to find a place where she could step without tripping, as there were limbs sprawled everywhere. Particularly near the twins, she couldn't find a way across. Tamaki had ran and leapt. She, however, wasn't going to take that risk.

"Tamaki!" she called as loudly as she could. He returned to help her across, but as he grabbed her wrist and pulled, he found one of the twins had latched onto her ankle. "Oh…" she whispered, bending at her waist to grab the twin's hand. "Come on…Let go…" Unfortunately, the other twin grabbed her hand and tugged on it. "Tamaki!" she nearly screamed as she tumbled forward.

"I've got you." Tamaki's arms caught her waist and pulled her off her feet quickly. He tossed her gently towards the door and followed her out the door shortly after. As they began walking down the hallway, he casually shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "You're really getting married to Nekozawa-senpai?"

"Yes," she said simply, nodding. "I believe it is for the best." After an hour or so of thinking about it, she had decided it was for the best that she simply accepted it. She couldn't change what her grandfather had decided. Accepting was sometthing she had learnt to do over the years – one of her best assets, she thought. Anyway, how bad could this Umehito person be?

"You're a brave person, you make daddy proud," Tamaki said, patting her on the shoulder. "If I had to marry him, I'd dig a hole and live in it for the rest of my life," he added, flicking a piece of his bangs in thought.

"I was hoping you wouldn't get married to a guy, Daddy," she laughed. He gazed at her with sparkling eyes.

"You called me 'daddy'!"

"Yeah, it has a ring to it, doesn't it?" She smiled as she pushed open the door to a random room. She decided to not respond to his other comment, seeing that it was none of her business why he hated Umehito in particular. Besides, Umehito _was_ a cute name. And if he had the looks and personality Tamaki had…Well, she'd be very happy.

"Could you close the door, please? I _am_ trying to sleep."

Luna watched as Tamaki literally _flew_ across the room and landed on the bed next to Haruhi, smothering her in a hug. He started babbling then, supposedly disciplining her for running off without telling him where she was going. It was sweet really. And Luna began to wonder how much of what Tamaki said was really 'fatherly love' as he claimed it to be. _Now we're caught in a love triangle…Poor Haruhi._

She shut the door when Haruhi asked her do so again. It was pitch black, but no one offered to turn on a light. She could hear Haruhi pushing Tamaki onto the floor and telling him he could stay in the room as long as he didn't touch her. Then Tamaki agreed, albeit reluctantly. Rustling blankets followed and the thumps of pillows hitting the floor signified Haruhi actually _did_ care if the blonde was comfortable or not. "You're staying too, right Luna? You can sleep in the bed me," Haruhi said sleepily, rolling over and pulling the blankets over her head.

Tamaki gasped as Luna crawled onto the bed. "Why does she get to sleep with you when Daddy doesn't?!" he cried pitifully.

"Because Daddy's a _boy_," Luna teased, really not meaning anything by it. She slipped under the blankets and rolled onto her side so that she could see Tamaki's lean outline in the darkness. He was curled up in a tiny ball as if just hearing those words had ended his world. "But Daddy's perfect the way he is," she added, hating to see him sad. She didn't know if he smiled or not, but she knew he felt better. That, she could just tell.

The next morning, Tamaki walked into his room to find clothing flying everywhere. His first thought was that a ghost was in his closet, but when he heard someone curse under their breath, he assumed it was the twins. However, when he approached the so called haunted closet, he found Luna standing amidst the racks of clothing. "Darling daughter, what are you doing? I'm not hiding anything in there, I promise," he said worriedly as if he thought she really would find something that Haruhi could hold against him for the rest of his life.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was going to put it all back before you woke up. This is urgent though, I promise." Diving behind a rack of clothing, she tossed a few more things out of her way – a couple of them smacking Tamaki in the face.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, hinting that he would help her with whatever it was. Ducking to avoid another flurry of clothing, he entered the oversized closet with her.

"I move into _that_ mansion today," she said, skeptically looking at a white jacket that had black designs. Her new father had called again earlier that morning and told her the time of everything that would occur in the next few days. "I really wanted to wear something nice…And well…" she poked her head between some clothing to look at him helplessly. "You have the best fashion sense!"

Tamaki's eyes lit up at that. He rummaged around before dragging out a simple dress he had tried to get Haruhi to wear a while back. "Here, keep it," he smiled, tossing it to her. She caught it and clutched it to her chest with a smile. After navigating her way out of the closet, she began picking up the clothing she had previously thrown out onto the floor.

"Why don't you wear your uniform?" Tamaki suggested, handing her a clothing hanger from the floor.

"Don't have it," she said matter-of-factly, folding an undershirt and placing it in a drawer.

"What do you mean you don't have it?"

"It's in cleaning."

"And how did that happen?"

"My hand slipped and now it has a huge blue stain."

"Your hand _slipped_." Tamaki placed a hand on his hip.

"Of course, what are you implying?" she asked with an evil smile. Hanging up another shirt, she looked over her shoulder at him. He still had that I-Don't-Believe-You look on his face. "Anyway, is your mother flying in for Christmas?"

"No," he said after a long silence. Luna hung up the last piece of clothing and then turned to face him. He had sat down on his bed with a depressed air floating about him. She closed the closet door before moving to crouch in front him. That expression really didn't suit him. Tamaki wasn't meant to be hurt. He was meant to be smiling all of the time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she trailed off when he shook his head, dismissing her apology. "Daddy, you hide things too much," she said softly, smiling up at him. "It's no wonder that you can tear up so easily. You're going through a lot aren't you?"

His genuine smile graced his features. "No, no, I'm not upset with anything. I'm happy, really," he laughed, ruffling her hair. "Shouldn't you be the one crying? I still have a mother," he shrugged, a smile still dancing on his lips as he left the room. She looked around at the empty room before placing the dress on his bed.

"Daddy!" she called before chasing out after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her questioningly. "I don't have to cry. All I need is a parent as perfect as you!" she laughed, latching onto his arm as she reached him.

"Right," he beamed as he began to walk down the hallway again. As they reached the end of the hallway, he came to an abrupt halt. He held a finger up to his lips and Luna mimicked his action with a nod. Barely pushing open the door to a nearby room then, he peeked in. Luna knelt down under him so that she could see also.

"C'mon Haruhi…It'd be the best Christmas present you could give him," Kaoru pleaded, winding and unwinding his fingers nervously. He and Haruhi were sitting on the bed together. Tamaki started to enter the room, but Luna held him back.

"Kaoru…Okay, but just this once," Haruhi sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't stand a chance against him in an argument. Kaoru would always win.

"Yay! Thank you!" Kaoru chirped, gathering her into a hug.

Tamaki's mouth dropped. Luna stood and pulled on his arm gently. "Um…Daddy, let's go to the kitchen and I'll make you some tea…" she said slowly. His blue eyes revealed disappointment. He sighed.

"Will there be lemon?" he asked, holding his ground.

"…Sure!" she said in confusion.

"Okay then," he said decisively before stalking off down the hallway.

While Luna and Tamaki sipped their tea, the waited for the rest of the hosts to either get out of bed or wander downstairs. _They sleep later than I ever expected they would. Should we wake them up?_ She tapped one of her fingers to her lip thoughtfully. _It's not like they would bite me or anything…_ She was about to make the suggestion to Tamaki, but he interrupted her.

"I should do something with my life! I should help the little people!" he exclaimed. Apparently thoroughly excited with his decision for he placed his tea on the table and jumped to his feet to begin pacing as he plotted.

"Help what 'little people'? Like dwarfs? You want to help dwarfs?" Hikaru chided as he entered the room. He stretched before placing his hands in his pockets. He smirked, thoroughly enjoying the look that appeared on Tamaki's face. "Luna, have you seen Kaoru around?" he asked, ignoring Tamaki as he retreated to his corner of woe.

"What's a dwarf…?" Tamaki whimpered from his corner, earning an exasperated glance from Haruhi as she entered the room, followed by the Kaoru.

"Lu-Lu!" Hunny's shrill voice echoed through the Suoh mansion as he ran into the room followed by Mori. Luna stood to greet him and he jumped into her arms. "There's a limousine outside waiting for you!" he said cheerfully.

"Oh…Um…Well, I guess I'll see you all after the break," she said with a smile, giving Hunny to Mori. "Bye," she waved before running out the room.

Haruhi sat down in a nearby chair tiredly. "Am I the only one who thinks things are only going to get worse from this moment on?" The rest of the hosts shook their heads, signaling they felt the same way. "I thought as much."


	10. Chapter 10: If It Makes You Happy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Ten - If It Makes You Happy**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: T  
**Notes**: I appreciate constructive criticism, no flames. This chapter would have been up a lot sooner, but it wouldn't let me upload for some reason... Anyway, the next chapter will be the last one in this story. However, I will post the sequel to this sometime soon.

* * *

"Kaoru-kun! You're late!" a chorus of girls' voices greeted him as he hurried over to the table with his brother. His breathing was shallow from where he had run up the stairs in an attempt _not _to be late. He regretted ever running, especially since he was late anyway. It wasn't even his fault! One of the Black Magic Club members had just stopped in front of him and stared at him from underneath their cloak. He had a blood lust for those people now. Usually he wasn't the one to hold a grudge over something silly like that, but after Kyoya's lecture he was in a different state of mind.

"Yeah, sorry, I was distracted," he rubbed the back of his neck as he took his seat next to his twin who immediately latched onto him. He blushed, just like he had taught himself to do at his twin's cue. He looked away as Hikaru nuzzled his neck, whining about how worried he had been.

"Kaoru-kun, Hikaru-kun, have either of you seen Luna around? We heard about what happened with her family and everything, but she hasn't been in class for a week. You're friends with her, aren't you? Do you know anything?" one of the flushed girls asked timidly.

The twins looked to each other. It was true – Luna hadn't been in class for the past week. In fact, they hadn't seen her at lunch or any of the free periods either. Tamaki had been hoping that she'd stop by during Host Club one day, but there was no such luck. They figured she was just skipping school or something. They shrugged and looked back to their princesses. "No, but we miss our little play thing," they said in unison.

"OH MY GOD! I'M CURSED! CURSED I SAY!" a scream erupted from the other side of the room, easily recognizable as Tamaki's voice. He was hiding behind Kyoya, squealing as he pointed at a puppet lying on the floor. Hunny had crawled into Mori's lap for protection, and the twins clung to each other. Tamaki had stepped on Beelzenef…_Again._

However, Nekozawa was no where in sight. His magically appearing doors were there, though. But instead of Nekozawa, a girl in a vintage black dress with lace, long black hair, and a hooded cloak stood where the Black Magic Club's king should have been. She stepped out of the doorway, carefully and quietly closing the door behind her, as if she was attempting not to make a scene. The doors disappeared after being closed, and she stood with everyone staring at her – particularly Tamaki who still believed the girl was a demon sent to castrate him…

The twins stood, whipping out their trusty flashlights – just in case the girl was as easy to get rid of as Nekozawa was. They stalked over, circling the girl curiously. She only moved once and that was to retrieve the fallen puppet and shove it into the black ribbon that was tied around her waist. Kaoru crouched down to look under her hood, and his eyes widened slightly at the sight. "Lu…Na?"

The girl pulled her hood down, and then shook off the wig. Sure enough, it was Luna. Tamaki screamed, running over to the girl and nearly knocking her down as he embraced her. "My precious daughter! What have they done to you?! You look like a hoodlum!" he cried.

"I did this to myself…" she said slowly, gently pushing him away with a smile. "I know that it's strange, Daddy, but…It was for a good cause, I promise." She let out a squeak when she was dragged away by the twins and forced into a chair next to a girl she recognized from her class. She looked around in confusion, a look of fear almost appearing in her eyes. _Why are they so upset? It's just an outfit change! Look at them; they're dressed as bugs with sticks!_

"Honored guest," the twins said in unison, seating themselves across from her. She looked over her shoulder, hoping that Kyoya wouldn't approve. To her disliking, the Shadow King nodded before returning to his eager princesses. "Why are you doing this?" they both hissed when the Host Club had returned to its normal state, minus Tamaki who was still pacing back and forth as he tried to think of a way to reverse his curse. "Nekozawa-senpai did this to you, didn't he?"

"He said it would make him happy," she said with a small smile, gazing down at her hands as she played with the little puppet she had previously picked up off the floor. Tamaki had left a foot print on it… She sighed inwardly. _Now I have to wash him…_, she thought dejectedly. Feeling their stares, she looked up at the twins. Hikaru looked irritated and Kaoru looked kind of upset about the whole thing. She then glanced over to the girls who were staring at her with wide eyes. What was their deal?

"Luna! You look so cool like that!" one of them cooed.

"Will you put the wig back on?" another sighed dreamily.

"Um…Sure…" she said slowly, fluffing the wig out before carefully placing it over her short hair. She blinked when the two girls gave her the same look they gave the twins when they were showing their brotherly love. She scooted away from the table and quickly stood, brushing her dress down. "E-Excuse me, I must be going. Umehito is waiting, after all," she waved and made haste to get to the door. She thought she had safely escaped, but someone grabbed her hand just as she had started down the hallway. "Please," she said softly, turning to face the person.

"Just listen," Kaoru said softly, looking over his shoulder to make sure his twin hadn't followed him. Luna nodded, clasping her hands together once he had released her. He placed his hands in pants pockets, more out of nervousness than out of habit. "Don't…Dress like that…It's weird," he said, fighting to form a proper sentence. She only smiled at him and took his hands in hers. She smiled at him when he faintly blushed and looked away.

"Would that…Make you smile?" she asked sweetly. Her blue eyes searched his features until he made eye contact.

"Yeah…"

"Then I'll do as you wish," she said as she released his hands. She turned on her heel, but held back. "Oh, and Kaoru?" She turned and quickly placed her hands on his shoulders. Before he had a chance to move, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for caring," she whispered, before disappearing through Nekozawa's magically appearing doors.

"Decided to a pay visit to your friends?" a familiar voice asked as she closed the large doors. She turned and winced, trying to force her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Her fiancé was standing near the altar in their club room, which wasn't really a room but an unused closet that they used since they weren't an 'official' club as of yet. She nodded and hurried over to stand by his side.

"Umehito?" she asked, unsure of herself. He looked over at her, naturally Beezlenef looked as well. "There are no windows, the lights are off. You only have candles lit. Please, let me see who you really are." She lifted a hand to pull down his hood, but just as she was about to touch it, he pulled away.

"I can't," he said simply, taking a step back.

She withdrew her hand slowly, holding it to her chest with a hurt expression. They were getting married in a week, weren't they? Why was he being so secretive about everything…? It wasn't fair. Then again, when had her life _ever_ been fair? She turned quickly and began moving toward the exit. "I understand." She stopped with her hand on the door's handle and looked back, a sad smile on her lips. "It's alright, Umehito. If you don't want to show me, I understand." She turned the door handle with a sad sigh. "Well, I'll see you at home."

"Wait!" he grabbed her hand and pulled her close. The cloak and wig lay on the floor. Their lips connected in a brief kiss before he pulled away, grabbed his cloak and wig, and disappeared into the darkness.

She brushed her fingers over her lips in shock. She could feel tears starting to burn her eyes. "Umehito?" she called, pushing the door open in haste. "I'm sorry for making you do something you didn't want to do!" And then she did the only thing she could remember how to do – run. That was her first kiss. Right there - and it was so not cool. There was no spark, no emotion, no anything. She bit her lip. Everything was so messed up!

"I have a week - one week to stop this," she muttered, wiping her tears roughly away with her sleeve as she ran down the hall. Originally, she was going to just go along with the marriage, but after that kiss… No, just, no. She couldn't go through with it. Her heart wasn't where her future was, and that she did not like.

Skidding to a stop in front of the Third Music Room, she took a deep breath. Right now, they were the only ones she could turn to. And if anyone could help her it was Kyoya and his family's police force… And if he wouldn't help her…Then, she was screwed. "Please…Don't let me down," she whispered before slowly pushing open the door.


	11. Chapter 11: Like Yesterday Is Gone

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Ouran KouKou.  
**Title**: A Patchy Existence - Chapter Eleven - Like Yesterday Is Gone**  
Author**: Frigid-chan. For questions, comments, and suggestions please mail rainecloud46 at yahoo. Emails are preferred over comments.  
**Rating**: T  
**Notes**: Well, this is the last chapter in this story. Personally, I hate the last few chapters - they just didn't turn out as well as I wish they would have, you know? Anyway, the sequel is called 'Once Broken, Twice as Shy' so keep an eye for it, okay? On to the chapter!

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Luna sighed, shoving another outfit into her bag with irritation. "I can't believe he refused…" she sighed again, shoving yet another outfit into the large bag. Then again, Kyoya never actually _had_ _been_ helpful. Zipping up the bag, she tossed it onto her bed. "I think I remembered everything…" she thought, running her fingers through her hair.

After Kyoya's refusal, she had immediately decided that she'd run away. She'd been a commoner before and she could make it as one again, if she tried. Umehito hadn't been upset when she said that she couldn't go through with the marriage, actually, he had seemed kind of relieved. It had made her feel better about everything when she realized he didn't care to go through with the marriage, either.

She patted her pocket to make sure all of the money she had saved was still there. Everything seemed in order. "Well…" She slipped on her shoes, opened her bedroom door, and clicked out the light. "No point in waiting around…I guess." She hurried as quickly as she could down the stairs, careful to avoid any and all maids that might have been passing. Somehow, she managed to get to the door and slip out it without anyone noticing.

She froze when bright lights blinded her. Her back encountered the door roughly, and she felt for the knob, but had no success. Had someone figured her out and was planning to stop her? That couldn't be a good. A tall figure, face black from the bright headlights of a car, moved toward her and she squinted in an attempt to tell who it was. The figure grabbed her hand, and began dragging her toward the car. She was shoved into a limousine, which shielded her from the rain as a storm began. She pouted, crossing her arms.

The door closed and her window rolled down on its own. "Tell my driver where you want to go. Your plane ticket is already paid for. Be careful," Kyoya said as he leant down to stare at her. She couldn't say anything, she could only nod. "The twins will meet you there, understand? No stopping." He started to leave, but turned back. "Don't tell anyone where you are."

Before she could thank him, she driver drove away. She was, more or less, shocked about the entire ordeal. So what Kyoya had said had all been an act? Why couldn't she tell the others? _I don't…_She snapped her fingers in realization. _They would have tried to stop me! I get it…But why the twins? They don't care enough to keep me here…Or do they care enough to keep a secret?_

A faint smile appeared on her lips and she pulled her bag into her lap. The rain was pouring down, making a steady drumming sound on the roof of the limo. It was like a parade playing music as she left – like she was some type of celebrity. The storm was fitting for such a day.

As the limousine pulled to a stop a few minutes later, she pushed the door open to be greeted by two familiar faces. The twins grabbed her arms, holding an umbrella over themselves as they drug her quickly into the airport and toward her flight. They were talking, but she didn't hear a word they said. She was too nervous to listen.

They escorted her to her flight, and said their goodbyes in an eerie calm. Luna bit her lip and stared down at her hands. She didn't want to go, but she had to. There was no other way to do things. It was a lose-lose situation. She pulled the sliver ring - one that had a sapphire heart in the middle - which she always wore, off her ring finger and tossed it to Kaoru before running for her flight. At this rate, she'd miss it. One of the things she had heard Hikaru and Kaoru say was that she was headed for the States. They didn't say where, but at least she knew where she was going.

Stepping onto the steps, she turned back to look at them. "Kaoru! I'll come back! I promise!" she called over the loud noise. He nodded and both twins waved as she boarded the plane.

After finding her seat, she sat fiddling with the ticket and passport that they had given her. She didn't try to stop the tears as they began to fall. She'd come back to them all someday. She didn't know when or how or where, but she knew that she would eventually see them again. Because love was enough, right? She smiled, leaning her head on the window.

"Love is always enough…"


End file.
